Villa Poggiarello and the village of Roccastrada evoke the quintessential and exquisite spirit of beautiful Tuscany. The vineyards, the rolling hills, the near-bye seaside and the spectacular villa, provide a stunning atmosphere, rich with glorious views and warm feelings. The climate here is very temperate and there is a constant aroma of sagebrush which permeates the air of this region known as La Maremma.

Romeo Innocenti teaches the cooking classes. Romeo is well-known in the area for his cuisine – especially certain Maremma sea-food dishes. He is an experienced cook and very entertaining. The guests can learn genuine Southern Tuscan dishes and the secrets passed down from grandmothers and grandfathers. All classes are hands-on and include local wine. The cooking courses teach the traditional Tuscan “Cucina Povera” (country cooking of the peasants). The courses are taught in a large rustic kitchen and dinner is served in the classic Tuscan-styled dining room.

Your Itinerary:

Day 1: Transfer from Rome and arrival at Villa Poggiarello. Fly to Italy. Upon arrival at the airport of Rome, you will be accompanied by car or van to Roccastrada and then welcomed at your vacation residence – Villa Poggiarello. After settling in, your tour hosts Federica and Romeo will show you around the estate! Then you can either relax in the garden or take a walk around the enchanting outdoor ambiance amidst warm vineyards and olive groves. For dinner you will enjoy a Tuscan meal prepared by Romeo.

Day 2: Siena and local food festivals. In the morning, after your breakfast, you’ll set off for Siena. You will visit the famous Piazza del Campo, the main square where the people from Siena (“i Senesi”) organize, twice a year, a medieval horse race known as Il Palio. Facing the square there is the beautiful tour Torre del Mangia, where if you wish, you can climb up to the top to admire a marvelous view of the city.

You can also visit the Duomo which is a gothic style cathedral. At the end of the morning, you will have lunch in a quaint restaurant in Piazza del Campo. Once home, and after having rested, you can prepare with Carlo a healthy Tuscan dinner (cooking lesson). During different times of the year, there are many celebrated local food festivals which take place to honor different types of harvest (Porcini mushroom, Olive oil, wine etc). These will be experienced whenever they are taking place! Once home, you can prepare a healthy Tuscan dinner with Romeo (cooking lesson).

Day 3: Vetulonia (Etruscan) and Castiglione della Pescaia. You’ll start off the day by going to Vetulonia. This fascinating Etruscan hill-top town is isolated, mysterious and beautiful. There is a medieval castle and views out over the Mediterranean sea. The Etruscan city of “Vetluna” (Roman Vetulonia) is located on the Maremma hills, above a lagoon and with access to the sea. The nearest modern city is Grosseto, approximately 30km to the South East. Vetulonia is the Etruscan city where the Lictors rods and Fasces originated. In 1898, a necropolis was discovered with a bundle of Iron rods with a double axe in the center. Later that year, the burial stele of Avele Feluske was discovered. This became a symbol of power by the Roman Magistrates in later years. The Lictor was the name given to the Magistrates assistant.

You will also enjoy a trip to the seacoast to the pretty seaside village of Castiglione della Pescaia. This old fishing village stands up high on a hill with its castle looking over the turquoise bay. You will enjoy a tasty lunch at a local restaurant. Once home, you can prepare a healthy Tuscan dinner with Romeo (cooking lesson).

Day 4: The small hill-towns: Roccatederighi, Montepescali. In the morning, after your breakfast, you can relax and prepare for your cooking course which will culminate with lunch – eating all that you prepared. After lunch, you have the choice to either go riding (mountain bikes or horses) around Roccastrada or you can choose to go on the guided excursion to see Roccatederighi and Montepescali. Both of these towns are stunning medieval villages surrounded with splendid views of the countryside. Roccatederighi itself is a lovely medieval village in the Maremma countryside in the south west of Tuscany. It sits on the top of a rocky hill overlooking an open plane which stretches to the sea.

Around lies luxuriant Mediterranean vegetation, utterly unchanged since the dawn of time. Walking down the narrow cobbled streets and squares of the pedestrian historical center, you see parts of the rock formation breaking through. Montepescali (called the “falcon of the Maremma”) sits atop a hill in Tuscany, 222 meters above the Aurelia, one of the ancient Roman highways. From the Baluardo on the western wall of the town, the Tyrrhenian Sea, the island of Giglio, and the highest mountains of Corsica can be seen.

Day 5: Super Tuscan Red Wine Tour: Montalcino, Pienza and Montepulciano. Today, you will enjoy a trip to the various wineries of Southern Tuscany. Montalcino is known as a “luminous place” and its ancient name was Monte Ilcinus after the leccio "holm oak" (Quercus ilex.) The Oaks of Montalcino have covered its hills and valleys from prehistory to present day, sharing their territory with the Olive tree, the Chestnut tree and Montalcino's most famous plant the Brunello grapevine, also known as Sangiovese Grosso. Here, you will taste this famous Brunello wine in a unique ‘best-kept-secret’ winery. You will enjoy a tasty lunch at a local restaurant and also visit Montepulciano (and taste the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano) as well as experience the extraordinarily charming town of Pienza.

Pienza owes its beauty and fame to Enea Silvio Piccolomini born in Corsignano on 18 October 1405 and elevated to Pope in 1458 taking the name Pius II. During the course of his Papacy, he changed the ancient Castello di Corsignano (first mentioned in 828) into a Papal residence in the Renaissance style, planned and constructed under the supervision of Bernardo Gambarelli called il Rossellino, a student of Leon Battista Alberti, and renamed it Pienza ("Pius"). In the evening, you will have your cooking class and dinner at Villa Poggiarello.

Day 6: Departure. Enjoy your final breakfast at Villa Poggiarello before heading back to Grosseto.

Faculty Information:
Villa Poggiarello has 10 unique apartment suites. Five of these apartments sleep between 2-3 people and the other 5 larger apartments sleep between 4-6 people. Each apartment is spacious and elegantly furnished in classic Tuscan style. Amenities include: TV, bathroom with shower and kitchenette with gas stove and refrigerator.

Other Activities:
The itinerary includes tours of the surrounding areas of Roccastrada. You will visit Montepescali, known as the balcony of the Maremma, and, because of it enviable position; Montemassi, famous for being depicted in Simone Martini's affresco showing Guidoriccio of Fogliano (shown below); Roccatederughi, a medieval town hidden amongst the rocks and is one of the most interesting in the Maremma, and Sassofortino which is reached by traveling through chestnut forests and has beautiful views overlooking the sea.

Facility Information:
The farmhouse dates back to the 1700’s, and has been carefully renovated, with full consideration of its original characteristics. On the estate, there are spacious heated apartments furnished with traditional Tuscan furniture. Each one has a kitchenette and a bathroom with shower.

There is also a swimming pool, horseback riding and mountain biking. This location is ideal to experience boating out in the Tuscan Mediterranean, since the sea-side resorts of Punta Ala and Castiglione della Pescaia are easy to reach. One can also sample and buy Villa Poggiarello's extra virgin olive oil which has been produced on the farm.

Notes:
Prices shown are per person double occupancy rates. There is a $350 - $450 Single Occupancy Surcharge.

Price Includes:

- 5 nights at Villa Poggiarello, near Siena, in a picturesque 18th Century Villa. The villa is beautifully furnished with traditional Tuscan furniture
- All meals as indicated in the itinerary
- Small groups: 4 to 12 people
- 4 hands-on cooking courses in “La Cucina Povera Toscana” – Tuscan country cooking
- Visit to winery with wine tasting in Montalcino, Montepulciano and Pienza
- 4 guided excursions to local food festivals (depending on season), Siena, the enchanting towns of Vetulonia (Etruscan); Montalcino (famous for its grape vineyards that produce the celebrated Brunello wine), Pienza; Montepulciano (famous for its Red wine “Vino Nobile di Montepulciano”), Roccatederighi (stunning hill-town), Montepescali, and Castiglione della Pescaia (a fishing village on the seacoast)
- All transportation (Including transfer from Rome and drop-off in Grosseto).

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